Contents

Published as the 2013 April Fools gag, the twenty-first entry to CGL's PDF-exclusive mini-Technical Readout or TROlet series, Experimental Technical Readout: 1945 (abbreviated as XTRO:1945 or XTR:1945) is a Technical Readout-style presentation of various Combat Vehicles and conventional fighters from the Second World War, complete with BattleTech stats and game rules. The fluff writeup and notable pilots descriptions are nonfictional. It adds game and construction rules for using the units in their own era, as well as the Age of War and beyond.

Previous April Fools publications were always tongue-in-cheek publications that were not canon. This is notably different for XTRO:1945 though, since the Second World War is part of BattleTech history as well (with BattleTech history deviating from real history only around the year 1986). Because of the essentially nonfictional content, all units and people mentioned within XTRO:1945 are inherently canonical.

XTRO:1945 was confirmed as "Pretty canon"[1], with the caveat that its canonicity "might sharply drop" if the material was found to create inconsistencies with established canon, or "if it's used as a crutch to make a point about BT weaponry functionality in the 31st century".

Long before mankind reached out for the stars, the nations of Terra waged generations of war against one another. While each conflict underscored the barbarism and technological savvy of the human species, the Second World War stands out as the most epic and critical of them all. Locked in battle on land, sea, and air, World War II spared few as the Allied nations fought to hold back the imperial ambitions of the Axis powers.

Experimental Technical Readout: 1945 samples a number of designs that played a key role in the largest, and perhaps most critical conflict in Terra’s pre-spaceflight history. Representing the military capabilities of the mid-twentieth century powers, most of the designs featured in this book are obsolete even by the standards of the Age of War, their weapons and armor rendered completely ineffective long before the days of the BattleMech. But if you’re going to insist on using the anyway, statistics are included for 24 iconic vehicles and warplanes of the Second World War, complete with special rules that make them ready for play—either against each other, or against thirty-first century tech in BattleTech games where you need a chuckle.